


The Story Of The Century

by Goldendoodlegamer11



Category: escape the night - Fandom
Genre: 1920s, Aftermath, Attempt at Humor, Bad Flirting, Bad Puns, Character, Comfort, Cute, F/M, Grief/Mourning, I Ship It, Journalism, Moving On, Oneshot, Party, Shipping Hints, Story within a Story, Survivor Guilt, Time Travel, cover story, haha don't kill me, headlines, mansion, playing a role
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-02
Updated: 2018-09-02
Packaged: 2019-07-03 03:04:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,282
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15810018
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Goldendoodlegamer11/pseuds/Goldendoodlegamer11
Summary: Eva Gutowski came to the mansion hidden and locked in the 1920s to get a story - as a Journalist, it was important for her to get the headline of the century, so why not it be at the party of the century?But she gets a story she isn't sure she wants to share anymore.





	The Story Of The Century

**Author's Note:**

> I wanted to try making a one-shot! I promise this won't all just be EtN stuff but I'll try to include some variety as well! Anyways, currently on my If The Other Won AU story, my current missions are to kill both Eva and Oli, in that order.
> 
> I don't wanna put my etn otp through that, so I wanted to do this for them to write some cute fluff and bonding. And some angst because it isn't etn without angst! But like - fluffy angst.

Eva studies herself in the car as the white convertible moves down a dirt road, the radio cranking out an upbeat jazz tune. She _adores_ her outfit way too much for it to be normal; it's a simple cream-coloured blouse, but there's a coral-peach coat that overlaps that, with a layer of shimmering dark golden cloth. To top it all off, a simple white hat adorns her head. Sure, it's not as fancy as what some of the others might be wearing, but Eva loves it all the same.

 As they near the mansion, and by extension the 1920s, she tries to get into character.

 

 _I'm a Journalist,_ she tells herself. _Sure, I might not be the richest or fanciest person is town, just a humble Journalist who's been invited by my good friend Joey, and I'm going to get the story of the century, at the party of the century!_ _I'll get the story and take risks and get...hmm, what would she do - ah! A promotion! Yes! I'll get an amazing promotion and become head writer. So there._

 

Eva smiles to herself.

 

They finally get to the mansion, and she gasps as she realizes there's a 1920s mansion, looming in the distance in shades of chestnut and penny brown, with the sky black, highlighted in wavering fern greens, and they are in the 1920s!  

 

 _This Just In; Time Travel Confirmed!_  
_Although many skeptics believe it to be untrue, brave and fearless Eva Gutowski has confirmed just last night that it_ is _possible to travel through time! All you need is an invitation from Joey Graceffa himself and a fancy costume from the 1920s!_

 

Eva gets out and there's Andrea and Justine already there. Eva sneak attacks them in a hug, (Andrea gives a small yelp) and the three go inside. The place is absolutely stunning - it's mainly just the main area they walk into, but Eva can see a library and living room, and she can smell amazing food that makes her mouth water. Mmm. Colours of umber, penny and hickory brown, copper and reddish brown swirl through her vision, and all of it seems a little too shiny for her simple overcoat.

 

Nonetheless, she joins in a conversation with Matt and Oli, who have been given the roles of The Professer and The Big Game Hunter, respectively. More people come, and Eva feels like using her role to the fullest potential. As soon as Joey's come and told them to have a fun time before dinner, Eva looks for something to do. 

 

She decides to join Shane and Matt in a friendly game of darts. She loses (and makes several self-deprecating puns, true to her nature,) but after she gets pulled aside by Shane.

 

"Are we allowed to look around?" He asks, and Eva's 100% up for it. She the Journalist, after all - she's supposed to put herself in potential danger for her stories and not think of the consequences.

 

They sneak upstairs to the second floor, and more headlines make their way through Eva's head as they round the corner. 

 

_ Breaking news; Possible mysteries at famous YouTuber's new mansion? _

_Reliable sources say that all might not be well in the Graceffa Mansion..._

 

* * *

 

 Oli can't believe this place. It's amazing! And looks very good for being placed in the 1920s. He's currently chatting away with a couple other people, mainly Andrea and Joey. "Is the house yours?" He asks. Uncertainty is replaced in Joey's eyes by confidence. "Well, it's supposed to happen tonight." Lele looks up from her conversation with Sierra and hovers over their host.

"Oh - so you _will_ have the money?" She raises an eyebrow. "Do you, you know, have a girlfriend?"

 

Joey looks slightly taken aback. "Uh - no..." He turns to the rest of their group.  
"I don't think she watched my video."

Sierra erupts out laughing, much to poor Lele's surprise, who tries to laugh along with the group but just looks confused.

 

While they're talking, Oli can see something out of the corner of his eye. Someone's climbing the stairs. He tilts his head, and it's Eva and Shane. The two occasionally look around to see if someone's seen them. Eva locks eyes with Oli, and her eyes widen. Probably internally swearing.

She gives her head a small shake. He gives her a nod. 

 

 She gives him an appreciated look before disappearing into the second level of the mansion. "Hey - what're you nodding at?" Joey asks. Oli turns back to the group, and most of them are looking at him.

 

"Oh - just, nodding at this furniture right here! It's really nice," He replies quickly. "Where'd you get it?" It's a dumb question for sure, but he can't think of another excuse. As Joey explains that it came with the house and that he might replace it if he can, Oli wonders what Eva and Shane were doing. Just...exploring the house? Was he talking to her in secret? 

If so, what about? 

He just chalks it up to something something _she's a Journalist._

 

Speaking of which, he should probably get into character as well. They talk more about his "trip to Africa" (yeah, okay,) and by the time Joey's announced dinner, Eva and Shane's disappearance is gone from Oli's mind.

 

* * *

 Andrea gets gassed to death.

 

_Young media star dies tragically in party gone wrong._

 

GloZell "twerk-dies."

 

_Beloved YouTuber killed unfairly; more to follow._

 

Tim gets his brains blown out, briefly after Matt gets poisoned in a room full of dolls.

 

        _Massacre at mansion in the 1920s..._

 

        _Eva's panicking._

        _Eva makes up news stories to calm herself down._

 

    _Three escape party nightmare; Journalist traumatized..._

 

 

* * *

 

 

Eva hasn't talked the entire morning. Oli wants to say something, but can't think of what. She looks tired and distant and he just wants to comfort her, but he's still in shock over the party's previous events as well. _What would I even say? "hey, sorry about you witnessing several deaths when I've only witnessed like, one? Hope you weren't too traumatized by watching Tim shoot himself in the head!  
__Good thing you saved me from that electric chair, but then again I guess Lele died..."_

 _Still, I have to say_ something.

 

They've been walking for what seems like hours. The sky's mainly a slight coral colour, but the horizon is now a light candlelight yellow, puffy clouds sparkling, and a light rain's beginning to fall. A bitter wind sweeps through the area. They get to a nearby forest. Every branch break makes Oli flinch. Eva isn't looking much better.

 

He takes the opportunity to pull Eva aside.

"We'll be right back, alright Joey?" Oli says quickly. Their ex-host seems to mutter something, and Oli takes that as a sign. He takes Eva a bit further down, and he sits a little ways away, under a huge umber oak tree, without leaves and gnarled. The forest around them seems to have turned the world a different colour: Fern greens churn in the sky alongside cyans and yellows. It twinkles with apologetic stars. A final goodbye. Oli expects it to go away, but it lingers as they sit. He pats the ground next to him.

Eva flinches but sits beside him. 

 

_Alright - do something!_

 He wants to ask her if she's okay, but he knows she's not -he's not. At all. The events of the last hours run through his mind, on repeat; getting trapped in the house, finding out the staff was evil, getting kidnapped, losing all their friends...

 

"So - how was the party?" He asks her. It's all he can think of to say. He curses at himself - _bloody 'ell! That's the worst thing you could've_ -

 

Eva snorts. Snorts? Now she's laughing. Why is she laughing? Eva gives yet another wheezy laugh as she brushes streams of stress-tears from her copper-coloured cheeks. She buries her head in her hands and slumps against the tree. 

 

"Oh, we really shouldn't have gone to that party," She whispers, her shoulders shaking. 

"No, we shouldn't have," Oli agrees, and finds himself laughing too. Okay - that's it - they're both crazy. Here they are, traumatized for life and probably currently reported missing, and they're sitting against a giant oak tree, _laughing._ Well, scratch that. They're laugh-crying. Hard. So many emotions make Oli want to scream and cry and laugh in awe all at once, but the only thing he can seem to do is laugh beside her. 

 

Eventually, Eva sniffs.

 They stand.

And -Without warning, he might add - she gives him a strangling hug. Despite himself, Oli blushes. He shakes his head. He hugs her back. They walk through the forest, and eventually Eva speaks up. "Be glad you only had to see Lele die," She says quietly. It's not malicious or envious, but rather just...relieved. "I had to see GloZell die too, you know." Eva looks away.

"I know. I just...when I had to save you from the basement, I was terrified. I'd seen Andrea die, GloZell, and Tim and all these people, and..."

 

He remembers all too well; the dusty reddish-brown basement, being trapped into a 'learning chair,' having Joey and Eva fight for his or Lele's lives, getting shocked until he thought he was going to pass out, Hearing Lele's screams alongside his own, eventually seeing the machine overpower Lele's chair and shock her to death.

 

"I really didn't want you to die," She admits quietly, "Since I promised I'd save you and all..." She blushes slightly. "I didn't want to lose anyone else, and then we voted, and then your name was called, and I..." She pauses, huddling into herself in the light summer chill.

 

"Just - I'm trying to say -" She looks at him, and gives an awkward smirk through her tears. "Thanks for...not dying. I appreciate you not dying, hah. I think I would've been a train-wreck if it was you who..." She falters. "But I'm really glad you're still alive."

Oli smiles slightly. "I should be the one thanking you! You saved my life! You know that, right?"

 

Eva chuckles, mainly to herself. "No."

 

And once they walk out of the woods, the entire stratosphere and sky above them is no longer green, but instead a dreary gray. Rain falls on their faces. There's Joey, standing by the curb, his thumb stuck out. Oli and Eva both sit, playing imaginary UNO.

 

"You know, I made fake news stories as the Journalist whenever we were voting - it helped me calm down a bit." Eva confesses while Oli has just placed down an invisible Pick-Up-4. 

"Really?"

"Well - yeah. I dunno why. Maybe when we get back we'll need a fake story - who knows?" She shrugs her shoulders. 

 

"How about this? We were invited to a fancy party, in the present, of course."

"Well obviously," Eva agrees. "UNO." Their entire conversation from earlier seems to have gone. Oli can't help but keep thinking of what she's said, though: that she would've been sadder if he was the one whose body would be forever in a creepy basement, strapped to a chair, head back and the last to be dead. "Everything's going fine, and suddenly - boom! A murderer! With a scruffy beard and a dapper suit and a creepy look in his eyes." Eva half-smiles. "True, but they might not believe us. We could say there's something wrong with the building - that it collapsed and killed everyone but us."

"Would they believe that?"

"Why not? It's not like they can go back into the 1920s and check if we're lying."

"Hmm. True enough. I guess it's not exactly the story you wanted." 

 

Eva nods. "Well - you'd be surprised on how many people want to read about a collapsing house." Oli laughs, which makes Eva smile and look away. "I win," She says, putting down her last imaginary UNO card. 

 

* * *

 

 

Eventually, _finally,_ someone comes. A bright red pick-up truck pulls to their side. "Need a lift?" Says the man driving.

 

"Yes, thank you," Joey sighs. They get in. The man acts where "you folks" are headed, and Joey tells them LA. After some more questioning from the man, he turns on the radio. Luckily, it's nothing too upbeat, and instead it's a soothing jazz. Similarly like coffee shop tunes.   
Joey looks out the window for the most-part. He's covering one side of his face and keeps talking to himself.

 

Eva looks exhausted. Without thinking, Oli takes her hand. He's not sure why, but the gesture makes everything seem alright. Eva squeezes back. There's some bulky forest-coloured blankets near the back that she takes advantage of, and soon she's completely out. Oli's almost impressed; he dosen't think he'll be able to sleep ever again after this party. instead, he keeps thinking about the night, everything that's happened, everyone dying...

 

_"And then we voted, and then your name was called, and I...I think I would've been a train-wreck if it was you who..."_

 

He helps himself to one of the blankets (he's sadly lost his ostrich coat,) and thinks of his own news headline.

 

 _Journalist Eva Gutowski Saves my_ \- _wait, no, hold on_ \- _Big Game Hunter's Life_

 _Journalist saves the life of Oli White in terrifying basement murder; the Journalist, who goes by the name of Eva, - is that how people say it?  Type it? - was also very helpful in most of the puzzles and challenges set in the 1920s horror-fest from a couple hours ago. Gutowski dosen't seem to realize how she's saved my - nope, wait, how did Eva do this again? - White's life and how_ _amazing_ (He feels warm again,) _of a person and friend she is._

 

_And how I'd be a mess if it was her who died, too._

 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank anyone who's reading this for, well, reading this! I had to re-write this plot way too many times for a simple one-shot but ahh I wanted to have a consistent story and actual plot hnn. 
> 
> I'm so happy with how this turned out though - it's fluffy and cute and I ship it too much. Anyways, please feel free to request more things like these, I'd love to write more!
> 
> Also ahh I put the scene where Oli tells his Africa story after Lele asking if Joey had a girlfriend ack  
> What is my life ;^;  
> Anyways, thank you for reading!
> 
> -Dawson


End file.
